Wiring your switch for track power

The switches are constructed with internal shunts and electrical straps to supply power to the point and closure rails, but because the frogs are made from Delrin plastic, power must be applied to both ends of the switch as shown in the photo below. Using the RJ CL railclamps, attach wires with a crimped wire terminal to the rails as follows. Power of one polarity (shown here as red, or positive) is fed to the curved stock rail on the right and to the short straight 'tail' rail coming off the frog on the left. Power of the opposite polarity (shown here as yellow, or negative) is fed to the straight stock rail and the curved tail rail. The power feeds need not actually be made at the switch, they are generally made somewhere on the track that is directly connected to the switch

Sunset Valley Railroad LLC

We Are -

A premier supplier of garden model railroad track and switches, concentrating on high quality product and personal customer service. We have been in business since 1989 and have gained an enviable reputation in the hobby for the way we do business and for the items we make.

Everything is proudly manufactured in the USA from mostly US made materials.

We make - A comprehensive range of Gauge One or G gauge (45mm) , O gauge (32mm) and dual gauge track, along with 37 types of switch for all your large scale railroad needs. Our track is suitable for outdoor garden railroads in all weather conditions from Alaska to Florida to Nevada. Our system is based on what is called code 250 rail, which means it is 1/4" high . This is much more realistic looking than the code 332 rail offered by others, and coupled with a choice of four different types of ties you can model in 1:32, 1:29, 1:22.5, 1:20.3 and 1:19 scales. The code 250 rail represents 130lb rail in 1:32 scale, and 75lb rail in 1:20.3, which is what the real railroads use.If you are not sure about code, gauge or scale, call Pete, he'll be happy to answer your questions.

We offer -four types of code 250 rail. Rail comes in 6 ft lengths. 1) Aluminum (Item code RA AL). Our aluminum rail is aircraft quality type 6063-T6, anodized and heat treated to be strong and weather resistant. It is the most economical rail. We do not recommend this for track powered trains however. 2) Brass (Item code RA BR). Made from type 360 alloy, strong, malleable and weathers into a beautiful dark color. Our most popular rail material 3) Stainless steel (Item code RA SS). Made from type 304 alloy, the same alloy as household cutlery and saucepans. This is completely corrosion proof and is very strong. We recommend this for track power because it does not need cleaning 4) Nickel Silver (Item code RA NS). This is the traditional preferred premium material as it weathers nicely on the sides to a dark color, yet the top can be polished to a bright silver color. Again, very good for track power.

If you are running battery power or live steam then the choice of rail can be any of the above. Many modelers paint the sides of the aluminum and stainless rail as these would otherwise stay bright and shiny for many years.

We offer -four types of track tie. Ties come in 1 ft sections 1) Mainline ties (Item code TI). Ties are 1/4" high by 5/16" wide by 3 3/16" long, spaced at 16 per foot. This corresponds to the standard 8"x10" x 8 1/2ft tie in real life. You should use mainline ties when modeling in 1:32 and 1:29 scales. 45mm gauge 2) Narrow gauge ties (Item code TI NG). Ties are 1/4" high by .394" wide by 3 1/2" long, spaced at 10 per foot. This corresponds to the 8" wide by 6ft long ties used by most of the 3ft narrow gauge USA railroads. You should use narrow gauge ties when modeling in 1:19, 1:20.3 and 1:22.5 scales. 45mm gauge 3) O gauge ties (Item code TI OG). Ties are 1/4" high by 5/16" wide, spaced at 10 per foot. Use these ties for modeling 1:19 scale and 2ft narrow gauge railroads. 32mm gauge 4) Dual gauge ties (Item code TI DG). Ties are 1/4" high by 5/16" wide, spaced 10 per foot. These are 3 rail ties at both 45 and 32mm gauge, for when you have a mixed collection of O gauge and G gauge trains.

You specify - track All the rails and ties are interchangeable, so you order the track by the code TR, then the tie type, then the rail material. For example TR AL is mainline aluminum track, TR NG BR is narrow gauge brass, etc. The rail comes to you in a tube and the ties in boxes, and it is easy to make up the track by sliding the rail into the ties. Ask Pete for the best way to create smooth, kink free and beautiful flowing track. It looks quite different and so much better than the toy-like straights and curves of traditional track systems! Although some flex track systems come pre-assembled, SVRR track comes unassembled. The main reason is that we advise customers to stagger the railjoints 3ft so that, on curves especially, each joint is supported by continuous rail on the other side. This makes for smooth curves with no weak points for potential kinks at joints. Visually the smoother curves look great too. This was the standard practice for real railroads, and for the same reason. Pre-assembled track can't be made up with staggered joints. The other reason is that our ties are a snug fit in the rail, to keep to the exact gauge and to prevent the rail from tipping. If it were pre-assembled then undue stress would be put on the end ties as the rail tries to slide through the ties when the track is bent. Thirdly, there is less rail cutting to do, in fact you can go all the way around a circuit without cutting any rail until the last piece, pre-built flexitrack has to be cut each length or two to fit ends on a curve. SVRR track is easy to put together, it takes less than 5 minutes per section, and it is fun building up your track just like the real railroads.

We offer- 37 types of Switches Switches are made from Brass, Nickel silver or Stainless steel, and are wired for track power. Mainline switches have 16 ties per foot, narrow gauge and dual gauge have 10 ties per foot, to match the track A WYE switch has diverging exits both ways, instead of one diverging and one straight. A CRV (curve) switch has the thru exit at a 90" radius and the diverging exit at a 40" radius. An SW6 OG switch is an O gauge 32mm switch. An SW6 DGP switch is a dual gauge switch, with a permanent 45mm track on the straight exit and a switchable 32mm for either straight or diverging exits The #8 and #10 switches have metal frogs and require a MICROSWITCH for track powered installations Switches have the headblocks (long ties for the switchstand) on the diverging exit. You can order them for the straight exit, specify REV and add $9 The ground throw (SW GT) is made from machined brass. It has an adjustable throw so you can use it on other manufacturers switches. Angle crossings (AC) can be used with switches to make a crossover. You need 4xSW6 with an AC3 or 4xSW8 with an AC4

People ask why we don't make aluminum switches to go with the aluminum track. The reason is that the moveable point rails come to a fine edge where they tuck into the outer stock rails, and aluminum is too soft to take repeated hammering by wheels. After a year or so they start to cause trouble. That is why we offer the stainless steel switches to go with the aluminum track.